[FIC] Chuck - Chuck vs. Free Will
Title: Chuck vs. Free Will
Author: themaskedmckay
Rating: Gen
Fandom: Chuck
Pairing: None
Words: 1,540
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Summary: The Intersect knows best...
Spoilers: The end of Season Two
Author's Notes: More speculation on how the Chuck might interact with the new Intersect in season three.
The first time it happened Chuck didn't even notice at the time.
Morgan was over and they had been watching the original Star Trek series in preparation for seeing the new movie when hunger struck and Chuck got up to order pizza. His head hurt but over the last two years he'd learned that an Intersect in your head would do that; so would hunger. He'd dialed Joey's and he'd ordered an extra large pepperoni with banana peppers and a couple of Coca Colas.
What arrived was two garden salads with chicken breast and bottled water. He'd tried arguing over the order with the delivery guy but Morgan spoke up and said he'd heard Chuck order the salads and was he on a diet or something?
Chuck recovered nicely, claiming he'd forgotten Sarah had said he should lose a few pounds, but Morgan just looked at him funny and ate his salad. Chuck resentfully worked his way through his salad, too. When he was done he felt a rush of positive feeling and a bit of euphoria putting him in an instant good mood.
It was hard to feel scared when he felt this good; which is probably why he hadn't reported it.
The second time it happened there were witnesses.
Casey, Sarah, and Chuck had just spent the entire day combing the city for any trace of a notorious assassin with a laughable name, nobody who killed people for a living shouldn't be called "Puppy", and they'd been so exhausted and frustrated with the lack of results that Casey had recommended they all hit a restaurant together before they went back at it.
Chuck suggested the IHOP as he was in the mood for Butterscotch Rocks pancakes with caramel sauce with a side of sausage; which he would gleefully dip in caramel sauce THEN ketchup. With any luck Casey would get that barely suppressed, horrified expression on his face he got when he realized that, yes indeed, Chuck WAS going to put that in his mouth.
The waitress brought menus but Chuck didn't need to scan his as he'd pretty much had it memorized and he already knew what he wanted. "Blue wizard needs fooood," he moaned. "My head is killing me!" But that wasn't new, was it? His head always seemed to hurt these days and he'd been trying to flash all day.
The waitress came back to take their orders and he heard himself order a spinach, mushroom & tomato omelette made with egg substitute and served with a side of fruit. Then, he asked for a pitcher of water because he was dehydrated. Casey and Sarah stared at him while he struggled to regain control of his body. The waitress coughed to get their attention and they quickly ordered, eyes never leaving Chuck. He sagged against table when the waitress walked away.
"What the hell was that, Chuck?" Casey whispered. "Did you flash?"
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked.
Chuck stared at them then down at his hands which were shaking. "You guys heard me order, right? I was going to get the Butterscotch Rocks pancakes!"
"Don't freak out, Chuck." Sarah said. "I'm sure there's a reason for this." She got up and sat with him on his side of the booth. He grasped her offered hand desperately,
"I wanted the pancakes."
Casey leaned over the table, his eyes were intense, "Has this happened before?"
"Yes! I was going to order a pizza and I ordered salads instead!"
The waitress came back, just then, with coffee for Casey, iced tea for Sarah, and a pitcher of water with a glass filled with ice for Chuck. Not even thinking about it, Chuck poured himself a glass of water and drank the whole thing down without stopping. When he was halfway through drinking his second glass he suddenly regained control and choked, splashing water down the front of his shirt and his lap.
He was overwhelmed by a strong thirst and automatically finished drinking what was left of his second glass. He was rewarded with a little jolt of pleasure. It wasn't as intense as the time he ordered salads but he would bet any money that once he ate his meal he'd be feeling pretty good.
"Chuck?" Sarah looked worried, "Are you okay?" Chuck sat there staring across the table at Casey. He looked relaxed but inside he was screaming. Casey frowned then stood up abruptly,
"We should leave. Get you back and call this in."
"No!" Chuck suddenly blurted out, "I want to eat. What if it won't let me leave until I eat?" Casey and Sarah shared a look. Sarah's eyebrows went up and Casey glowered. She nodded,
"Chuck," she said, "we want to help you. If you think we need to stay here and finish eating, we'll stay."
"But we're calling this in as soon as we get back," Casey added.
"Okay," Chuck agreed. "And can I just say it's really weird how I just now started to crave spinach? I hate spinach!"
When it happened after that, he was prepared.
After reporting the first two instances of the Intersect overriding Chuck's desires for food with its own Chuck had to go in for an examination. They'd taken samples from everywhere conceivable and run him through a battery of culinary tests. It wasn't every time he tried to pick something unhealthy but it was more often than not that the Intersect would steer him in the direction of healthy food choices.
It was more than annoying, it took away a basic liberty and Chuck was pissed off. "I'm nearly thirty and I can eat what I want!"
"Well, Chuck, obviously the Intersect doesn't agree with you," Casey smirked when he said it. Once it had become obvious Chuck wasn't in any danger from the Intersect Casey had found the whole situation amusing. "Has it got you jogging yet?"
"Yes! Look, this is creepy. When I do what it wants me to, it makes me feel good. This is a real world example of a rewards-based behavioral training! It's altering my brain chemistry as a reward! And if I don't do what it wants I get these cravings I can't control." Chuck shuddered, "I drank one of Awesome's breakfast shakes and liked it. I more than liked it, Casey, I liked it so much I... let's just say the Intersect needs a lighter touch with those pleasure rewards."
Casey raised an eyebrow and grunted, "Noted. It seems to me the Intersect is trying to get you in shape and it's monitoring your body. You've got optimal fluid intake now, I see you sleep regular, and you've toned up. Is that really bad?"
"Yes! It is that bad! I'm being forced to do these things. It's altering me, it's changing what I want, making decisions for me and it's reshaping me from the inside out and I don't like it!" Chuck suddenly wanted a banana. His eyes narrowed in response to the sudden craving. "And now it wants me to eat a banana; probably to reduce my blood pressure."
"Well, the General doesn't seem to think it's a threat to you, Chuck. She's recommending you follow its instructions and let it optimize you."
"I'll bet she's perfectly happy with this." Bitterness filled Chuck's voice and seemed to spill over onto his face, twisting his normally amicable features into a scowl. "The choices we make are what make us who we are. Even something as simple as what kind of breakfast cereal you eat says something about you. Do you know what my choices lately have been saying about me? They're saying I'm not Chuck, I'm the Intersect.
"Sure, at the moment the changes are good for me. I'm probably healthier right now than I've ever been, but where is the line drawn? Is it going to stop if I eat right and exercise or will it start working on other aspects of my life? Maybe it will encourage me to pick my clothes up off the floor, tuck my shirt in, get a buzz cut, and salute the flag, too! It's changing me Casey, and I wish the NSA cared enough to see even positive changes are negative when they're against my will."
"Hey, the NSA does care, Chuck. We have experts looking over your results and trying to figure out what's going on but it isn't like they can pop open your braincase and tinker with the Intersect directly." Casey laid a heavy hand on Chuck's shoulder, "They're collaborating with Orion again on this and I'm sure if there is a way to alter the Intersect programming they'll find a way."
"And if they can't?"
"Then it'll be up to you to find a way to resist. I know you, Chuck, you're a seditious S.O.B. and if anyone can find a way to rebel against their own head it would be you."
Chuck gave Casey a lopsided grin, "Thanks, I think. Are we done here then?"
"Yeah, you want to grab a banana from the cafeteria before we meet Sarah?"
"No," Chuck seemed to struggle with himself. "I think I'm going to buy the biggest chocolate bar I can find and force myself to eat it."
"Hah!"
Author: themaskedmckay
Rating: Gen
Fandom: Chuck
Pairing: None
Words: 1,540
Disclaimer: Characters do not belong to me.
Summary: The Intersect knows best...
Spoilers: The end of Season Two
Author's Notes: More speculation on how the Chuck might interact with the new Intersect in season three.
The first time it happened Chuck didn't even notice at the time.
Morgan was over and they had been watching the original Star Trek series in preparation for seeing the new movie when hunger struck and Chuck got up to order pizza. His head hurt but over the last two years he'd learned that an Intersect in your head would do that; so would hunger. He'd dialed Joey's and he'd ordered an extra large pepperoni with banana peppers and a couple of Coca Colas.
What arrived was two garden salads with chicken breast and bottled water. He'd tried arguing over the order with the delivery guy but Morgan spoke up and said he'd heard Chuck order the salads and was he on a diet or something?
Chuck recovered nicely, claiming he'd forgotten Sarah had said he should lose a few pounds, but Morgan just looked at him funny and ate his salad. Chuck resentfully worked his way through his salad, too. When he was done he felt a rush of positive feeling and a bit of euphoria putting him in an instant good mood.
It was hard to feel scared when he felt this good; which is probably why he hadn't reported it.
The second time it happened there were witnesses.
Casey, Sarah, and Chuck had just spent the entire day combing the city for any trace of a notorious assassin with a laughable name, nobody who killed people for a living shouldn't be called "Puppy", and they'd been so exhausted and frustrated with the lack of results that Casey had recommended they all hit a restaurant together before they went back at it.
Chuck suggested the IHOP as he was in the mood for Butterscotch Rocks pancakes with caramel sauce with a side of sausage; which he would gleefully dip in caramel sauce THEN ketchup. With any luck Casey would get that barely suppressed, horrified expression on his face he got when he realized that, yes indeed, Chuck WAS going to put that in his mouth.
The waitress brought menus but Chuck didn't need to scan his as he'd pretty much had it memorized and he already knew what he wanted. "Blue wizard needs fooood," he moaned. "My head is killing me!" But that wasn't new, was it? His head always seemed to hurt these days and he'd been trying to flash all day.
The waitress came back to take their orders and he heard himself order a spinach, mushroom & tomato omelette made with egg substitute and served with a side of fruit. Then, he asked for a pitcher of water because he was dehydrated. Casey and Sarah stared at him while he struggled to regain control of his body. The waitress coughed to get their attention and they quickly ordered, eyes never leaving Chuck. He sagged against table when the waitress walked away.
"What the hell was that, Chuck?" Casey whispered. "Did you flash?"
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked.
Chuck stared at them then down at his hands which were shaking. "You guys heard me order, right? I was going to get the Butterscotch Rocks pancakes!"
"Don't freak out, Chuck." Sarah said. "I'm sure there's a reason for this." She got up and sat with him on his side of the booth. He grasped her offered hand desperately,
"I wanted the pancakes."
Casey leaned over the table, his eyes were intense, "Has this happened before?"
"Yes! I was going to order a pizza and I ordered salads instead!"
The waitress came back, just then, with coffee for Casey, iced tea for Sarah, and a pitcher of water with a glass filled with ice for Chuck. Not even thinking about it, Chuck poured himself a glass of water and drank the whole thing down without stopping. When he was halfway through drinking his second glass he suddenly regained control and choked, splashing water down the front of his shirt and his lap.
He was overwhelmed by a strong thirst and automatically finished drinking what was left of his second glass. He was rewarded with a little jolt of pleasure. It wasn't as intense as the time he ordered salads but he would bet any money that once he ate his meal he'd be feeling pretty good.
"Chuck?" Sarah looked worried, "Are you okay?" Chuck sat there staring across the table at Casey. He looked relaxed but inside he was screaming. Casey frowned then stood up abruptly,
"We should leave. Get you back and call this in."
"No!" Chuck suddenly blurted out, "I want to eat. What if it won't let me leave until I eat?" Casey and Sarah shared a look. Sarah's eyebrows went up and Casey glowered. She nodded,
"Chuck," she said, "we want to help you. If you think we need to stay here and finish eating, we'll stay."
"But we're calling this in as soon as we get back," Casey added.
"Okay," Chuck agreed. "And can I just say it's really weird how I just now started to crave spinach? I hate spinach!"
When it happened after that, he was prepared.
After reporting the first two instances of the Intersect overriding Chuck's desires for food with its own Chuck had to go in for an examination. They'd taken samples from everywhere conceivable and run him through a battery of culinary tests. It wasn't every time he tried to pick something unhealthy but it was more often than not that the Intersect would steer him in the direction of healthy food choices.
It was more than annoying, it took away a basic liberty and Chuck was pissed off. "I'm nearly thirty and I can eat what I want!"
"Well, Chuck, obviously the Intersect doesn't agree with you," Casey smirked when he said it. Once it had become obvious Chuck wasn't in any danger from the Intersect Casey had found the whole situation amusing. "Has it got you jogging yet?"
"Yes! Look, this is creepy. When I do what it wants me to, it makes me feel good. This is a real world example of a rewards-based behavioral training! It's altering my brain chemistry as a reward! And if I don't do what it wants I get these cravings I can't control." Chuck shuddered, "I drank one of Awesome's breakfast shakes and liked it. I more than liked it, Casey, I liked it so much I... let's just say the Intersect needs a lighter touch with those pleasure rewards."
Casey raised an eyebrow and grunted, "Noted. It seems to me the Intersect is trying to get you in shape and it's monitoring your body. You've got optimal fluid intake now, I see you sleep regular, and you've toned up. Is that really bad?"
"Yes! It is that bad! I'm being forced to do these things. It's altering me, it's changing what I want, making decisions for me and it's reshaping me from the inside out and I don't like it!" Chuck suddenly wanted a banana. His eyes narrowed in response to the sudden craving. "And now it wants me to eat a banana; probably to reduce my blood pressure."
"Well, the General doesn't seem to think it's a threat to you, Chuck. She's recommending you follow its instructions and let it optimize you."
"I'll bet she's perfectly happy with this." Bitterness filled Chuck's voice and seemed to spill over onto his face, twisting his normally amicable features into a scowl. "The choices we make are what make us who we are. Even something as simple as what kind of breakfast cereal you eat says something about you. Do you know what my choices lately have been saying about me? They're saying I'm not Chuck, I'm the Intersect.
"Sure, at the moment the changes are good for me. I'm probably healthier right now than I've ever been, but where is the line drawn? Is it going to stop if I eat right and exercise or will it start working on other aspects of my life? Maybe it will encourage me to pick my clothes up off the floor, tuck my shirt in, get a buzz cut, and salute the flag, too! It's changing me Casey, and I wish the NSA cared enough to see even positive changes are negative when they're against my will."
"Hey, the NSA does care, Chuck. We have experts looking over your results and trying to figure out what's going on but it isn't like they can pop open your braincase and tinker with the Intersect directly." Casey laid a heavy hand on Chuck's shoulder, "They're collaborating with Orion again on this and I'm sure if there is a way to alter the Intersect programming they'll find a way."
"And if they can't?"
"Then it'll be up to you to find a way to resist. I know you, Chuck, you're a seditious S.O.B. and if anyone can find a way to rebel against their own head it would be you."
Chuck gave Casey a lopsided grin, "Thanks, I think. Are we done here then?"
"Yeah, you want to grab a banana from the cafeteria before we meet Sarah?"
"No," Chuck seemed to struggle with himself. "I think I'm going to buy the biggest chocolate bar I can find and force myself to eat it."
"Hah!"